Reuse peanuts

Minimize impact of polystyrene-foam packaging

Untitled Document
Where can one find nonpolluting alternatives to foam
“packaging peanuts” used for shipping fragile merchandise? Those little white polystyrene-foam packaging peanuts
are nearly ubiquitous in our pack-and-ship culture, but they are no good
for the environment, let alone human health. The basic building block of
polystyrene is the nonrecyclable chemical compound styrene. Long-term
exposure to styrene is associated with central nervous system damage, as
well as skin, eye, and respiratory irritation; depression; fatigue; and
compromised kidney function. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
the International Agency for Research on Cancer both consider styrene a
possible human carcinogen.Consumers who occasionally deal with foam packing
peanuts shouldn’t worry too much over such intermittent exposure but
should be alarmed at the health effects on the workers making the material
and on the quality of the soil and groundwater near landfills where most of
it ends up. Some locales — including Portland, Ore., and Orange
County, Calif. — have even banned the use of polystyrene foam in
homes and businesses. So what’s a conscientious shipper to do?
Fortunately, alternatives abound. For starters, old newspapers, which are
inherently recyclable and biodegradable, make for great padding when
scrunched up and used liberally inside boxes. Another smart choice is
PaperNuts, an alternative to foam peanuts made from recyclable,
biodegradable postconsumer corrugated cartons and postindustrial
paper-processing production waste. And starch-based peanuts, such as those available
from Starch Tech’s Clean Green Packing, protect and pad fragile items
during shipping but can be dissolved in water and washed right down the
kitchen sink — or, like their chemical counterparts, they can be
reused in the next outgoing package. Some other manufacturers of
biodegradable packing materials include Minnesota’s NatureWorks,
Italy’s Novamont Spa and the German industrial behemoth BASF.But sometimes it’s not up to you what kind of
padding is protecting the products you mail-ordered and had sent to your
home or business. If the box contains polystyrene foam peanuts, you can
call the company that sent it and ask that they switch to a more
environmentally friendly alternative. With more and more companies looking
for ways to “go green” these days, they might just take heed. Regardless, the best way to prevent such peanuts from
contaminating the environment is to reuse them in an outgoing package and
include a note asking the recipient to do the same. If you have no use for
them, many businesses that do shipping will take them if they are in good
condition, and most managers at UPS, Mailboxes Etc., and other
pack-and-ship shops will gladly save a little money and accept a donation.
Even if no local businesses will take your foam peanuts, those staffing the
phones at the Plastic Loose Fill Council’s Peanut Hotline (see
contact info below) will be happy to help find one that will. For more information:
PaperNuts, www.papernuts.com; Starch Tech,
www.starchtech.com/cgp/cleangreen.html; Plastic Loose Fill Council Peanut
Hotline, 800-828-2214, www.loosefillpackaging.com. Send questions to Earth Talk, care of E/The Environmental Magazine,
P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881 or e-mail earthtalk@emagazine.com.